A clinical psychologist, Mr Mohammed Ahmed, has called for innovative solutions to ensure mental health support to reduce dropout rates, promote academic performance, and enhance social cohesion in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
Ahmed made the call in the Asido Foundation’s Special January edition of its Interactive Monthly Community Engagement Series (IMCE) virtual meeting with the theme “Bridging the Gaps: Innovative Solutions for Mental Health Support in African Tertiary Institutions.”
Ahmed, also the director of the Youth Mental Health Directorate of the Asido Foundation, said factors like family background, peer influence, institutional support, and societal attitudes towards mental health were key factors influencing mental health issues in educational settings.
According to him, mental health issues are increasingly prevalent among students in tertiary institutions across Africa, quoting a study that found nearly 20-30 percent of students in African universities experience mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
He declared, “University life always translates individuals into the stage of interdependence, meaning you have to improve on your social skills and have the emotional intelligence to understand your own emotions and those of others.
“Yes, there’s academic pressure; in most Nigerian institutions, you have faced heavy coursework. Those in the medical field are faced with so much pressure that it affects their mental health. We’ve had cases of suicide, and then the environment is also competitive.
“Sadly, families are also having high expectations of their children. So this is a lot of pressure for someone who is just trying to find ways to adjust and function in the university system. Also, with the crisis in the economy, there are financial stressors all around there.
“So we have to be pragmatic and realistic with the solutions that we’ll be bringing to the table when it comes to solving mental health challenges. And sadly, if we do not fix our mental health challenges at that stage of our life, it might hinder our capacity to flourish, our capacity to attain self-actualisation post-university life.”
Mr Ahmed, however, declared that there are limited mental health policies geared towards addressing specific problems in tertiary institutions.
According to him, bridging the gap requires that tertiary institutions have functional counselling services, peer counselling and mentorship programmes, and specific mental health policies that address tertiary institutions.
The clinical psychologist declared that, aside from tech-based interventions to provide accessible, scalable, and cost-effective mental health support, the integration of entertainment-based and sports-based interventions can also enhance mental and physical health.
“We have mobile apps that you can use to only manage mental health challenges, like phobia, stress, mood conditions, and anxieties. There are several online counselling platforms to reduce the gap in access to health services. We now have AI chatbots that you can interact with that have proven effective to an extent,” he said.
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